Voluntary Sector Independence Under Threat

via Poverty Alliance e-news

The latest report from the Panel on the Independence of the Voluntary Sector, Independence under Threat: the Voluntary Sector in 2013, [PDF 52pp] has found that in the last year both explicit UK Government actions, and inactions, has had a serious impact on the independence of campaigning charities working with it.

The report says the UK Government has:

• imposed contractual gagging orders on some charities, stopping them speaking out about government policies or publicly releasing data
• advised local authorities not to fund certain campaigning charities
• failed to carry out its own policies to support the independence of the voluntary sector.

Sir Roger Singleton, chair of the Independence Panel, said: “Voluntary organisations enjoy widespread support because they are independent and distinctive. It is not just the personalised help they give. It is also their independent voice on behalf of unpopular causes, which is especially important when engagement in mainstream politics is declining.”

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